Registered Nurse to Master of Science in Nursing (RN to MSN)

Returning to our Roots:

Don’t lose your momentum. Reach your career goals faster with Northwest Christian University’s online RN to MSN track which allows RNs to complete a bachelor and master’s degree in nursing in less time and at a lower cost than earning each degree separately.

The online RN to MSN track is perfect for RNs who know they want to complete their master’s degree. Students are admitted to the MSN program and upon completion of 9 bachelor-level courses (27 credits) will seamlessly be enrolled into master-level courses. Upon completion of all bachelor and master’s level coursework, you will receive both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nursing.

For more information on the MSN program and available concentrations, click here.

Program format

This program can be completed entirely online allowing busy working adults to maintain a healthy work, life, and school balance. This program is designed to allow you to study anytime from anywhere, providing you the flexibility to arrange your studies around your own schedule. With multiple starts a year, you can start your program when it’s convenient for you!

Already have a bachelor’s degree?

If you currently have your RN license and have already completed your bachelor’s degree (outside of nursing), then NCU’s RN to MSN bridge may be the perfect fit for you! The RN to MSN bridge is for RNs who have a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing and wish to pursue a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. NOTE:A Bachelor of Science in Nursing is not awarded upon completion of the bridge program.

THE NCU DIFFERENCE:

30+ years experience educating busy, working adults.

Coursework delivered 100% online.

Project-based practice experiences.

Program prepares students for graduate education.

Business Partnership Scholarships available for tuition assistance.

Transfer Credits

Time to completion will vary by student, depending on individual progress and credits transferred. Our free Transfer Evaluation can help you understand how many credits will transfer to NCU. For more information regarding transfer credits, click here.

Admission Process

To be considered for admission into the RN to MSN track, the following items are required:

An application for admission (NCU does not charge an application fee)

Official transcript(s) from all college/universities attended (a minimum transferable GPA of 3.0 is required)

An active, unencumbered RN license.

What if I do not meet the Admission Requirements?
Applicants who do not meet the GPA requirement may be considered by the Admissions Committee for conditional admission on a case-by-case basis. Additional documentation may be required. Please speak with your Enrollment Advisor for more details.

Tuition and Financial Aid

2018-19 COST OF ATTENDANCE

BSN Tuition Rate: $475/credit

MSN Tuition Rate: $525/credit

At NCU, we know financial aid inside and out and can help you apply for and receive the best financial aid package available. For more information regarding financial aid, click here.

Program Objectives

Graduates of the BSN program will be able to*:

Demonstrate critical thinking and ethical discernment in the provision of safe, quality, client-centered nursing care to individuals, families, and communities across the continuum of health care environments.

Demonstrate an ethical and socially just view of nursing as a profession and ministry.

Integrate knowledge from the liberal arts, humanities, and sciences including nursing science to promote and enhance human flourishing for patients, families, communities, and self.

Synthesize nursing science and knowledge from other disciplines to make sound, evidence based nursing judgments.

Develop a professional identify as a nurse through actions reflecting integrity, standards of ethical, moral, and legal conduct, advocacy, and caring for all patients, families, and communities.

Demonstrate a spirit of inquiry by acting as an evolving scholar who contributes to the science of nursing through identification of practice issues in need of study, appraisal and integration of evidence, evaluation of outcomes, and sharing of evidence with the interprofessional team.

Utilize knowledge of the political process and healthcare policies, including financial and regulatory, to influence safety and quality in healthcare systems and nursing practice.

Incorporate professional nursing standards, behaviors, and values into nursing care and practice.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing program objectives are based on outcomes/competencies expected of graduates from a baccalaureate nursing program as established by the National League of Nursing (NLN, 2010) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN, 2008) Essentials for Baccalaureate Educations for Professional Nursing Practice.

For more information on the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program objectives, click here.

Courses within the BSN Program

Foundations for Lifelong Learning in Nursing

This introductory nursing course helps students navigate NCUs online learning, communication, and assessment systems and explore academic support services. Nursing as a ministry, Jesus as healer, and behaviors implying the presence of professional values are explored.

Evidence-based Practice and Health Care Policy in Nursing

This course examines the concept of evidence-based practice in nursing with an emphasis on substantiating nursing judgements in practice with evidence. The way health care polices influence nursing practice and health care systems are explored.

Leadership in Nursing Practice

Examine the concepts of servant leadership, Nursing as a ministry, and professional commitment to human flourishing. Throughout this course the student will study leadership models, the competencies that are critical to nursing as a profession, and develop an understanding of organizational success in change management.

Role of the Professional Nurse

This course provides an introduction to the identity, attributes, roles, values, and behaviors of the professional nurse. Nursing history and contemporary nursing issues impacting practice, rules and regulation defining and authorizing professional nursing practice, standards of conduct, and the concept of lifelong learning will be explored

Ethics in Nursing

In this course students will examine the practice of nursing as a ministry within the context of ethical obligations, including patient rights versus the duty to deliver care. Students will develop in-depth knowledge of and reflect on core ethical issues of moral authority, patient autonomy, justice, and the sanctity of human life in light of a variety of ethical situations which traverse the lifespan and are encountered in nursing practice.

Population Health in Nursing

This course examines factors influencing the health of populations and communities with a focus the role of the nurse to assess, implement, and evaluate culturally appropriate, community-based efforts aimed at promoting and maintaining health.

Research in Nursing

This course assists students in developing a spirit of inquiry and to act as an evolving scholar. How evidence is developed, the basic elements of the research process including quantitative and qualitative processes, and the ethical conduct of research will be studied. Methods for locating, retrieving, communicating, and critiquing health and other relevant research literature and other sources of evidence will be explored.

The Aging Population

The study of care and management of the aging population focusing on geriatric care including approaches to chronic illness, rehabilitative care and palliative care. A focus will be on communication and collaboration with patients, families, health care team members and care options, including home health care.

Nursing Capstone

Theories, concepts, and knowledge learned in prior BSN and other course work are integrated into a Project Based Experiential Learning Experience (PBELE) carried out within the context of an organization or community agency. The PBELE includes: direct care and/or in-direct care experiences; is based on an identified health problem or issue; involves interaction with other providers and/or individuals, families, groups, communities, or populations and; allows for transition of student competencies to the baccalaureate level of proficiency.

Courses within the MSN Program

Population Health

This course focuses on clinical prevention and health activities aimed at improving the health status of diverse populations. Students will explore the role of nursing leadership within health systems to design and deliver population and evidence based care and services that promotes health, reduces risk of chronic illness and prevents disease. Issues of equitability, cultural and ethnic identity, socio-economic, emotional and spiritual needs, and values of patients and the population will be examined.

Population Health Clinical

This supervised, 45 clock hour clinical experience provides students opportunity to integrate clinical prevention and population health concepts into creation, implementation, or evaluation of a health education or promotion, reduction of chronic illness risk, or disease prevention project within the context of a health system, community organization, or clinical setting.

Health Care Policy

This course focuses on development of knowledge and skills nurses need to promote health and help shape the health delivery system utilizing the health policy process and political advocacy. Students will examine agenda setting, process, people, use of research, finances, implementation, evaluation and the role of nursing and nurse leaders in relation to health policy. Students will identify several ways to become politically active in order to effect system change.

Communication in Nursing

This course focuses on deeper development of interpersonal, interprofessional, and organizational communication skills necessary to promote effective working relationships as well as provide coordinate quality care within health care systems and across varied settings. Concepts of effective communication, organizational process which enhance communication, power structures and group dynamics, conflict and conflict resolution, teams, team work and team leadership will be examined.

Statistics for Nursing

This course assists nurse leaders to understand and apply fundamental concepts of statistical reasoning to evidence based practice in order to improve health care practice and patient outcomes. Students will examine basic statistical concepts needed to judge the quality of research evidence used in practice and gain proficiency in the use statistical software packages.

Quality Improvement and Safety

This course focuses on developing advanced understanding and knowledge of continuous quality improvement and thus safety within health care organizations. Students will examine various quality improvement principles, methods, tools, and performance measures effective nurse leaders employ to create cultures of safety and lead the way for quality improvement.

Translating Scholarship into Practice

This course builds upon prior knowledge of statistics and evidence based practice to develop skills of analyzing, interpreting, and translating research findings into practice. Students will explore how to: apply research outcomes within various practice settings to resolve practice issues; lead the health care team to implement evidence-based practice; use translational research skills to lead continuous improvement processes; and be a role model for lifelong learning.

Choose a required concentration:

Nurse Leadership in Health Systems

Nursing Education

For more information on available concentrations and required coursework, click here.

SIGMA PI DELTA, NURSING HONOR SOCIETY

These three Greek words forming the name of the society characterize the university’s mission of Wisdom (Sigma), Faith (Pi) and Service (Delta). There are three ways NCU nursing students and nurse leaders in our community may become a Sigma Pi Delta member:

Undergraduate nursing students who achieve academic excellence in their nursing courses and rank in the top 35% of their graduating class are granted membership in Sigma Pi Delta.

Master’s students who have completed at least 1/4 of the nursing curriculum and achieve academic excellence (GPA of 3.5 or above) are granted membership in Sigma Pi Delta.

Nurse Leaders who are legally recognized to practice in their countries, have at least a baccalaureate degree in nursing or other field and demonstrate achievement in nursing in Scholarship or Leadership or Service or Practice may apply to become a member of Sigma Pi Delta.

Sigma Pi Delta members are inducted in December and May during the Blessing of the Hands Ceremony.

Accreditation

Northwest Christian University is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at Northwest Christian University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (www.ccneaccreditation.org).

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program at Northwest Christian University is pursuing initial accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org). Applying for accreditation does not guarantee that accreditation will be granted.

State Authorization

Northwest Christian University, like other institutions of higher education, must obtain authorization from individual states and territories to enroll students residing outside of Oregon into the MSN program. Most states are authorized or exempt from authorization because the MSN program is 100% online. At this time, only students from authorized states can be enrolled into the MSN program. If you reside outside the state of Oregon, please refer to the State Authorization Map below:

If you have any questions or live in a state that is not currently authorized, please contact the Office of Admissions at 541-684-7343 or gradadmissions@nwcu.edu.

Program Director: Linda Veltri, Ph.D., RN

Ph.D. University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee MSN Gonzaga University BSN Whitworth College BA Whitworth College

Dr. Veltri arrived at NCU in 2016. She teaches within the RN to BSN and MSN programs and serves as the Director of Nursing. She completed her bachelor of science in nursing at Whitworth College in 1996. Her area of clinical expertise is maternal-newborn nursing